Multiple Knob Structure

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a new-type multiple knob structure comprising a knob top module, a bearing module and a knob bottom module. Thereinto, a knob top module includes head cover, silicone keyboard and head annular PCB from top to bottom; a bearing module includes bearing holder and bearing; a knob bottom module includes bottom cover and bottom PCB. More particularly, a vertical press module is provided in this invention. The vertical press module is comprised of head cover, silicone keyboard, head annular PCB and bearing holder. The vertical press module is mounted on the periphery of the bearing, and it is mounted on the bottom cover with bolts. The new-type multiple knob structure with simple structure and low cost is suitable for knobs with varisized diameters, meeting requirements of the knob structure&#39;s application on electrical switch and regulating equipment.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to and claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application Number CN201610552385.1 filed on 14 Jul. 2016, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to technology field of knob module, especially relates to a new-type multiple knob structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Knob, is an electrical component for manual control in electronic system. Generally, knob is part of electrical switch or regulating equipment. According to functional requirement and shape, knob is classified into three types, circular knob, multilateral knob and pointer knob etc.

At present, knob structure with double bearings and rotating potentiometer are commonly produced and used in technology field of knob module. To achieve vertical movement and rotation movement along the axis of knob, structure of linear bearing is setup to the knob structure with double bearings, on the basis of normal bearing structure. However, requirement of precision is high when manufacturing the knob structure with double bearings. Hence, production costs of knob structure with double bearings would be high. It can be rotated and pressed in knob structure with rotating potentiometer. Knob structure with rotating potentiometer is suitable for knob with minor diameter. However, it is not easy to rotate and press the knob when knob structure with rotating potentiometer applied to the knob with major diameter. And it would be shaky and not steady when to rotate and press the knob. Users often complain about the experience of knob control is poor. Both the knob structures mentioned above limit the application on electrical switch and regulating equipment.

Therefore, there is a need to design and manufacture a knob structure with simple structure and lower cost, and suitable for knobs with varisized diameters, and it is an urgent technical issue that the engineers now face and need to be solved.

BRIEF SUMMARY

To solved the problems mentioned above, the invention provide a new-type multiple knob structure with multifunction, whose structure is simple and production cost is low. The multiple knob structure is suitable for knobs with varisized diameters, meeting requirements of the knob structure's application on electrical switch and regulating equipment.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives of the invention, the invention provide a technical solution as below,

A new-type multiple knob structure comprising:

a knob top module, which includes head cover, silicone keyboard and head annular PCB from top to bottom;

a bearing module, which includes bearing holder and bearing;

a knob bottom module, which includes bottom cover and bottom PCB.

Generally, when engineers design this multiple knob structure, they usually merge the vertical press function and rotation function into the same piece of printed circuit board. In the process of research and development of the invention, engineers of the invention try to setup the vertical press function on the head annular PCB and setup the rotation function on the bottom PCB. They find out that it simplifies the integration manufacturing procedure of PCB and it achieve different functions on different places of the knob. What is more important is that it optimizes knob structure and improve consumer's experience when vertical pressing and rotating the knob.

More particularly, the knob bottom module also includes torsional spring and rotation damper; torsional spring is mounted on installing groove of the bottom cover; rotation damper is mounted on rotation damper installing groove of the bottom cover.

To further describe the invention, a bearing seat is setup on the middle axle of the bottom cover, the bearing is mounted on the bearing seat of the bottom cover.

As single bearing is setup as the main bearing structure of the invention's multiple knob structure, it reduces production costs and avoids using knob structure with double bearings, whose production cost would be high.

More particularly, a vertical press module is provided in this invention. The vertical press module is comprised of head cover, silicone keyboard, head annular PCB and bearing holder.

The vertical press module is mounted on the periphery of the bearing, and it is mounted on the bottom cover with bolts.

The bearing, torsional spring and rotation damper are setup on the knob structure jointly. When rotating the knob clockwise or anticlockwise 30 degrees, it will trigger the knob to work, and the knob would springback automatically under the action of torsional spring and rotation damper.

To further describe the invention, nine pieces of button are setup on the wherein silicone keyboard, and nine pieces of button triggers are setup on the wherein head annular PCB, the buttons corresponding to the button triggers. When consumers press any point of the head cover, knob would be triggered to work. It meets the requirement of achieving the vertical press function easily.

To further describe the invention, a slide switch is setup on the bottom PCB of the knob bottom module, the slide switch triggers the knob to rotate.

Comparing to conventional knob structure, the advantages of the invention are as below:

A new-type multiple knob structure provided by the invention is suitable for applying in knobs with varisized diameters, meanwhile its structure is simple and only a single bearing with lower cost is setup as the main bearing structure. Therefore, it can meet the requirements of the knob structure's application on electrical switch and regulating equipment.

The knob structure provided by the invention simplifies the integration manufacturing procedure of PCB and it achieve different functions on different places of the knob, which is the vertical press function setup on the head annular PCB and the rotation function setup on the bottom PCB, respectively. It is more important that it optimizes knob structure and improve consumer's experience when vertical pressing and rotating the knob.

The knob structure provided by the invention, where nine pieces of button are setup on the wherein silicone keyboard, and nine pieces of button triggers are setup on the wherein head annular PCB. The buttons corresponding to the button triggers. Whenever consumers press any point of the head cover, knob would be triggered to work. It saves labor and meets the requirement of achieving the vertical press function easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a new-type multiple knob structure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a pressing diagrammatic drawing of a new-type multiple knob structure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a rotating diagrammatic drawing of a new-type multiple knob structure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to fully comprehend the features and efficacy of the present invention, a detailed description is described by the following substantial embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The description is as below.

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIG. 1, it is an exploded view of a new-type multiple knob structure in accordance with the embodiment of the invention. The invention provides a new-type multiple knob structure.

The knob structure comprise a knob top module 1, a bearing module 2 and a knob bottom module 3.

Therein the knob top module 1 includes head cover 11, silicone keyboard 12 and head annular PCB 13 from top to bottom; the bearing module 2 includes bearing holder 21 and bearing 22; the knob bottom module 3 includes bottom cover 31 and bottom PCB 32.

More particularly, the knob bottom module 3 also includes torsional spring 33 and rotation damper 34; torsional spring 33 is mounted on installing groove 311 of the bottom cover 31; rotation damper 34 is mounted on rotation damper installing groove 312 of the bottom cover 31.

In the process of research and development of the invention, engineers try to setup the vertical press function on the head annular PCB 13 and setup the rotation function on the bottom PCB 32. They find out that it simplifies the integration manufacturing procedure of PCB and it achieve different functions on different places of the knob. It is important that it optimizes knob structure and improve consumer's experience when vertical pressing and rotating the knob.

In this embodiment, the bearing 22 is mounted on a bearing seat 313 of the bottom cover 31, the bearing seat 313 is setup on the middle axle of the bottom cover 31.

Now referring to FIG. 3, it is a rotating diagrammatic drawing of a new-type multiple knob structure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. To further describe the rotation function of the invention, the bearing 22, torsional spring 33 and rotation damper 34 are setup on the knob structure jointly. When rotating the knob clockwise or anticlockwise 30 degrees, it will trigger the knob to work, and the knob would springback automatically under the action of torsional spring 33 and rotation damper 34.

For ease of illustration, a vertical press module is also provided by the invention, it is comprised of head cover 11, silicone keyboard 12, head annular PCB 13 and bearing holder 21;

The vertical press module is mounted on the periphery of the bearing 22. To further describe the location of the vertical press module, it is mounted on the bottom cover 31 with bolts.

Turning now to FIG. 2, it is a pressing diagrammatic drawing of a new-type multiple knob structure in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, nine pieces of button 121 are setup on the wherein silicone keyboard 12, nine pieces of button triggers 131 are setup on the wherein head annular PCB 13. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the nine pieces of buttons 121 corresponding to the nine pieces of button triggers 131.

A slide switch 321 is setup on the bottom PCB 32 of wherein the knob bottom module 3 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The slide switch 321 triggers the knob to rotate.

The new-type multiple knob structure provided by the invention is suitable for applying in knobs with varisized diameters, meanwhile its structure is simple and only a single bearing with lower cost is setup as the main bearing structure. Therefore, it can meet the requirements of the knob structure's application on electrical switch and regulating equipment.

The present invention is disclosed by the preferred embodiment in the aforementioned description; however, it is contemplated for one skilled at the art that the embodiments are applied only for an illustration of the present invention rather than are interpreted as a limitation for the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that the various substantial alternation or replacement equivalent to these embodiments shall be considered as being covered within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be defined by the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A multiple knob structure comprising: a knob top module, which includes a head cover, silicone keyboard and head annular PCB from top to bottom; a bearing module, which includes bearing holder and bearing; a knob bottom module, which includes bottom cover and bottom PCB.
 2. The knob structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the knob bottom module also includes a torsional spring and rotation damper; the torsional spring is mounted on installing groove of the bottom cover, the rotation damper is mounted on rotation damper installing groove of the bottom cover.
 3. The knob structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing is mounted on a bearing seat of the bottom cover, the bearing seat is setup on the middle axle of the bottom cover.
 4. The knob structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a vertical press module comprised of the head cover, silicone keyboard, head annular PCB and bearing holder; wherein the vertical press module is mounted on the periphery of the bearing, and the vertical press module is mounted on the bottom cover with bolts.
 5. The knob structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein nine buttons are setup on the silicone keyboard, and nine button triggers are setup on the head annular PCB, the buttons corresponding to the button triggers.
 6. The knob structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein a slide switch is setup on the bottom PCB of the knob bottom module, the slide switch triggers the knob to rotate. 